Dreams of Silver
by Kami-no-Namida
Summary: After defeating Voldemort in his fifth year Harry wanted to finally have peace and hopefully find happiness also. He hoped to have found just that when he found out that he is a mate of a Veela. However when Harry Potter and an unsaid fact about Veelas clash nothing goes as it should. Mpreg, more warnings inside
1. The Midnight it All Started

_**Hi there (^0^)/**_, this is a story with pairing which won my poll - _**Draco x Harry**_. If you don't like slash or this particular pairing, please leave, there's nothing you'd be interested in. If you stayed: "I hope you'll like what's ahead." (^^)

**Warning:** AU-ish - aside from changing most of the events from fifth book and on there also were no Horcruxes, Slash, abuse _(not sexual, only in 1st chapter, some mentions later), _Mpreg

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does... I'll only own eventual OCs which may appear. Meaning no one as of this chapter.

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**... Dreams of Silver ...**

_**4 Privet Drive**__**, Little Whinging**__**, **__**Surrey, **__**England; **__**July 30th, five minutes till midnight**_

It was nearing midnight when Harry Potter looked at the little digital clock with cracked glass he had on his similarly damaged bed-side table. He has looked at it repeatedly throughout the day, counting every minute till the midnight. He was just _so_ close to his sixteenth birthday.

July 31st has always been a date he looked forward to during the whole first half of summer, but only two days ago the date has gained an importance of a whole new level.

Harry has been overjoyed when a letter was brought by an owl on July 29th in which he was told Remus and Sirius had _actually_ won the custody of him. Something all three of them had prayed for since the very bottom of their hearts and set their minds on since the bonding ceremony of the two Marauders in late June.

It was a beautiful event and also something Sirius and Remus had to overcome long years of pain and betrayal from unexpected people for, however once it was finally happening they couldn't have been happier for being given the chance.

It was by a stroke of luck that one of the Death Eaters which were captured after the victorious Battle of the Department of Mysteries had been Peter Pettigrew... The fact that Voldemort has been pushed into the Veil was a _very_ pleasant detail to the day also and thanks to it no one really thought of punishing the group of students which broke into the Ministry and shouldn't have been there.

Since then everything has gone quite well. The Ministry has been reconstructed and since the capture of Wormtail the new officials went out of their way to try to lessen the damage done on Lord Black and put his trial on the top of their "to do" list.

The Battle and the final defeat of Voldemort happened on 18th od June.

Sirius was freed on June 21st after finally being given a trial and proved innocent... it was also a day he proposed to Remus, doing so immediately after he got to his vaults for a ring he had prepared to use for the same opportunity over a decade ago, before the plan fell through.

The only other trial of that day has been as surprising to the wizarding community as the full pardon and refunding of the damage to Sirius was. For it was one Lucius Malfoy who was also freed that day, having been found to have been under a spell which has ended when the one to keep him under it - his wife - was killed by her Master accidentally when a curse meant for one of the Aurors hit her. An accident which no one really minded. After that the Malfoy patriarch took to start his connections all over again with a clean slate.

For Sirius who spent first two days freed thinking whether to run around in the open space or start making up for his absence due to hiding with his fiancé - the latter had won - the Head of a rivalling pure-blooded family was as interesting as his mother's screaming portrait though.

After getting the initial happiness overload off his system Sirius took to plan the bonding ceremony which the animagus and the werewolf wanted to have as soon as possible and which happened on June 27th.

The request for taking over Harry's custody was filled on the very same day, the process starting immediately.

What however no one - or maybe nearly no one - expected has been an interference by Albus Dumbledore "thanks" to which instead of staying in the renovated Grimmauld place with the newlyweds Harry had to go back to Dursleys until the process was finalized. The main argument for that was that there were rogue Death Eaters still. A statement Sirius pronounced was "an utter bull-shit" for there would still be Death Eaters the Ministry would not be able to catch... and who would be better to protect Harry than his almost family? The people the Potters _actually_ stated in their wills for Harry to be taken to in case of their deaths?

However neither Harry nor his godfather with his husband could do anything and so they had to wait until the custody has been either denied or granted. They really hoped for the latter of the two to become reality.

And on the morning of July 29th a letter came.

The custody has been indeed granted, making Remus and Sirius Harry's parents in the eyes of law as of July 31st. Harry could move to Grimmauld place 12 to his new parents. There was nothing he wanted more than that. He finally wanted peace and to get out of the hell the Dursley's house was to him... to _free_ himself of the cage he was forced to live in, was a good start for that.

Along with the official letter from Ministry a joint letter from the Marauders came also, stating that they would come for him as soon after Harry's turning sixteen as they could. Harry expected it to be sometime during the night. One never knew with the two Marauders. Their plans were thought through to a point and usually a bit confusing. It was true all the more if Sirius was the one to make the plans as they tended to be a bit disorganized, thus unpredictable completely. It however mattered to Harry only a little as he loved both of his adoptive fathers and was looking forward to his life with them, the possible pranks included.

Lost in his thoughts Harry nearly missed the switch of the digital clock, only turning his attention to them few seconds before midnight. What however came on midnight was more than a beeping sound he set to go off once the exact time passed.

As the clock happily continued advancing in time doing so in red numbers Harry was overcome by a wave of pain followed by another... and another... and another. It felt as if his body was turning itself from inside out and then back and it was no wonder that even Harry with his enforced high tolerance for pain was soon screaming in agony.

He only vaguely heard the banging on the door and his uncle screaming something at him.

He only vaguely heard the many locks be opened and heard the door creak as they opened.

He almost did not even see the light which came into the room from the opened door. It was more than his little lamp by his bed could ever hope to produce.

He did not take in his surroundings. He only felt his body convulsing in the waves of pure pain as he coughed blood on the carpet-less floor, more and more of it coming with each breath he took.

Then however, all of sudden the pain subsided and Harry could hear, see and feel again, the first of sensations being magic returning into his body which he never knew has been released during the strange, agonizing experience.

However it was at that moment that new pain started also. A more of a familiar one, for it was delivered more than often and more than a few times during each of his summers.

"You _freak!"_ Vernon Dursley screamed as he kicked into the body half-curled on the floor in a puddle of blood with vigour one would not expect from a man his size.

"Why can you not let us sleep? Do you think we want to be infected with your freakishness?"

Harry however switched off, not listening to his uncle's ramble which always accompanied his "rightful punishments". He only took all the kicks and punches thrown at him, not having the strength to run... as it happened all the time, unfortunately.

"I wish I could throw you out of the window, but that has been forbidden. I..." it went on and on, the words sometimes repeating itself. Until a sudden stop had been put to it as a new voice rang through the room.

"Harry!"

The kicks stopped out of surprise and the fat man turned to the entrance to the excuse of a room, only to come face to face with a man who pointed his wand at him.

"Get out of my house you _freaks!"_ Vernon screamed, seeing another man in the door who went past the fat man to check Harry for extent of damage done.

It was not difficult for a werewolf like Remus to recognise there were more stages of the abuse, some of the bruises taking on a yellowish tint, some of the welts on the boy's back - which he noticed only because Harry hissed slightly once touched - seeming to had become infected... Oh, yes, one Remus Lupin would be tempted to let Moony out to play, it was only few days till full moon after all, but...

It was in all that damage that the werewolf could recognise something which was not induced by a human, not to mention a muggle. And it was that damage that made him the most uneasy, for he could not place its source in his anxiety over the other wounds... It would not be wise to make Harry suffer from it for much longer.

"Let's go Siri." Remus sighed as he waved his wand over Harry to heal as much as he could. He knew they would need an aid of a medi-witch or wizard anyway, but it still made the werewolf more at ease if he felt his cub's life was not threatened by blood loss.

"But this man..." the Head of the Black family started as he pressed his wand at the pulse point of the whale of a man.

"I know what he did Siri... but Harry needs us." Remus said sadly as he gathered the boy - who has finally given in to the pain and let himself sink into the black of unconsciousness - into his arms. "Gather Harry's things and we can go."

As much as Sirius wanted to punish the man for what he has done, his son's safety had a higher priority in his list. And so he did a basic summoning charm and Harry's belongings started to fly from around the house and into the Hogwarts trunk Remus has literally sniffed out in the cupboard under the stairs when they came. Sirius hated to think about how small that thing was... for he could easily guess from the little bed in there what was its previous purpose... that someone actually slept there... and it sure as hell hadn't been Dudley.

Once the little amount of Harry's possessions stored itself in the trunk the two men and their newly acquired son left the house.

If Harry was still awake then he would have thought the same thing his dads did as they looked at Privet Drive 4 for the last time before they apparated away.

'Never again.'

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**Tadah~ (^^) Here's the 1st chapter. I hope it is long enough to interest some of you and you will consider waiting for next chapter... Maybe leave a review even? o(OwO)o**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	2. The Silver Rose with Red-Tinted Petals

**... Dreams of Silver ...**

_**Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England; July 31st, seconds after midnight**_

Draco always knew that a day when his mate matures magically will eventually come. He was told of his heritage and the need of mate which came with it long ago and when the initial stage of his own transition into a mature Veela came, he had an idea of what his mate will go through.

What however Draco did not know and no one of those who mattered told him - or could not - was that he, to a degree, will feel his mate's pain of maturing also.

It was thanks to that that the pain, which struck the blonde Veela when it became the last day of July, came as completely unexpected and caused him to crumble to the floor where he was standing, just bidding his father good night, with a scream of pain.

"Draco what...?!"

The Malfoy patriarch became confused for a moment, however he soon recognised his son's pain for what it was, having gone through the same process himself.

"What is this?" Draco choked in pain as he saw his father crouch down, only to take him in his arms immediately. The man saw the confusion and immense pain in his son's eyes, which flashed with the silver his Veela form had, and was angry at himself for not having thought of checking his son's knowledge sooner. He intended to do that later, but how could he have known that his son's mate's maturing will come only a month after he was released of the spell and subsequently fully pardoned?

"It's going to be okay." Lucius whispered as he held his only son, deciding to explain later. "It's going to pass soon."

Like that the man stayed, soothing his child until the pain finally passed and the tired blonde fell asleep. Once that happened Lucius carried the sleeping Veela to his bed.

"Sleep well Dragon." the father said, brushing aside the stray hair which caused the sleeping blonde's eyelids to twitch. Once that matter was taken care of the breathing evened and he fell into a deeper sleep in which Lucius knew he will see a glimpse of his mate. He hoped that unlike him his son would be able to find him or her... most likely him. He was not going to hold the fate's choice of his son's partner against the child anyway. He only wanted his son happy.

...

_**12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London, England; July 31st, 2:24**_

_Harry came to consciousness only to find himself in a garden where silver rosebuds seemed to just about want to bloom._

_He knew he has never been in a place as beautiful as that one._

_"Is anyone here?" Harry called out, finding it strange than no one would guard a place as charming. As graceful._

_"Is anyone here?!" Harry called again in a louder voice, yet no one responded._

_Only the roses started blooming and the silvery colour of the flowers showed itself in all its beauty._

_Harry was just about to try calling out again when a gentle hand rested on his shoulder, turning him around. He felt no harm from the person and so he turned around. He wanted to see the person who made him feel completely safe from a touch only. A feeling no one has been able to evoke in him, ever before._

_However he could not see the face of who was apparently a boy, a man almost, in front of him. He only felt the smile which was gracing the face of the unknown visitor of his dream. And was only subconsciously aware of the golden hair which crowned the visitor's head__._

_He only saw the eyes._

_Silver eyes._

_As silver as the flowers in full bloom all around the garden._

_It was when Harry started to doubt the source of his dream that the boy smiled again and placed a hand on his chest, then pulled the hand off, handing him a rose which appeared in his hand as if out of nowhere._

_It was a silver rose, not unlike the others in the garden. That one however had red-tinted petals and Harry knew stood for the heart._

_Smiling at the gift Harry looked up from the rose, wanting to thank the one who entered his dream._

_He however found out that he could not speak anymore and only watched as the boy only smiled, then spread his silvery-white wings and flown away, leaving Harry in that beautiful garden alone._

...

"What is wrong with him Moony?" Harry heard hushed voice of Sirius Black, as he was brought into consciousness slowly.

He felt Sirius' and his other dad's presence in the room, as well as presence of a woman who was running a series of spell on him. However there was something in that awareness that made him feel confused. Since when has he been able to not only feel the gentle hum of magic of those around him, but pretty-much _smell_ them also? And since when did his senses warn him about the werewolf he has known for three years as a potential danger?

"Ah, he's waking up." the woman's voice said and, as he tried to sit up without even bothering to open his eyes, Harry immediately categorised the voice as Madame Pomfrey's.

"Cub, are you all right?" Sirius asked as he came closer, as did Remus seconds after. It was thanks to that motion that Harry all but jumped back on an instinct, falling off the edge on the other side.

"Harry Potter! You're going to break more of your ribs!" Madame Pomfrey shook her head in exasperation as she walked over to Harry. It was however very soon that she stopped stunned in her tracks.

It was the moment Harry's eyes snapped up to look at her whilst he tried to scramble up.

"But how..." she whispered only as she came closer. Being "only" a witch Harry's reaction was barely a flinch.

"What's wrong with him?" the shocked animagus who was still standing on the other side of bed with his equally shocked husband asked.

"I believe Harry has transitioned into a creature." Madame Pomfrey said as she was finally allowed to come close enough to resume her work on mending Harry's damaged body.

"But that's not possible!" Sirius exclaimed.

"How can you be so sure?" the medi-witch asked simply, trying to not look into the new Veela's eyes, not being accustomed to the eyes, which, aside from the slitted pupil, consisted of emerald-green only.

"It is true." Remus spoke up for the first time. "Potters, unlike some other families, never mingled with creatures in their history. We studied the family tree with James in school."

"From Lily then?"

"No, we studied what we could about her family also. Aside from one Squib two generations back and the magical family - we could not find which - that preceded it, Lily's family consisted entirely of Muggles from all the other lines." Remus sighed. "It would not be possible for Harry to become an actual creature from only that much, not to mention one apparently strong enough to sense me as danger." the werewolf reasoned, understanding Harry's reaction caused by the new creature blood.

"I'm sorry..."

The three adults were startled to hear the new quality the boy's voice took on. They however were more shocked by the fact that the boy spoke up by itself.

"I'm sorry." Harry repeated. "I couldn't control that."

"It's okay, you just need to get accustomed to the new sensations I guess." Remus smiled sadly.

"I'll really try." Harry tried to smile encouragingly.

"I know you will." Remus laughed, wishing that he could ruffle the boy's messy hair at that moment, he knew it was not the time. Hi would have more of the opportunities in the future to do that though. "Now I'm going to library... I have a feeling I've read about something of the sort before, but..."

"Could a dream have something to do with it?" Harry asked, his head tilting to the side slightly.

"Dream?" Sirius asked, before his husband or the medi-witch still working on Harry's wounds had the chance to.

"I had a dream just now... I was in a garden... In a really beautiful one, full of silver rosebuds. I asked a few times whether someone was there, but it was not until the roses started blooming that someone appeared. A guy, I recognized as much, even if I could not really see him clearly. I did see his eyes though, silver like those roses. And then he gave me one, with red streaks on the petal's tips, forming it as if from his heart." Harry tried to explain, repeating the motion the one he saw in the dream did unconsciously. "I wanted to than him for it, but I could not speak anymore. And then he only smiled, and flew away..."

"Curious..." Remus mused to himself, then turned around and walked out of the room, his thoughts someplace else. All the three occupants knew perfectly that the werwolf was just on his way to the library.

"I'll go after that studious husband of mine if you don't mind." Sirius grinned at Harry. "Someone has to check at him to not get too lost in those books, right?"

...

It was only few minutes after both of his new dads left the room that the medi-witch deemed Harry as mended somehow and helped him back to his bed.

After few words of advice and scolding she left, leaving Harry alone in his room.

It was when Harry was alone and prepared himself to go to sleep again that he slipped one of his hands under his pillow, only to draw it back with a hiss as his finger got pricked on something sharp.

He lifted the pillow and could only stare in amazement.

There, under his pillow was a rose.

The one rose he spoke about just minutes before.

The silver rose with red-tinted petals.

...

_**Malfoy Manor, July 31st, 9:27**_

"I saw him father. I saw my mate." Draco announced, soon after he woke up from his pain-induced sleep, sitting next to his father at the breakfast table.

"Him?" Lucius inquired, as he turned to look at his son.

"Umm..." Draco shrank back a bit from his father, however knew that this was not something one could talk themselves out of. And so he only whispered. "Yes..."

"I'm not angry at you Draco." the older Malfoy sighed, damning his "perfect" wife for causing such a rift between the two of them. The only good thing she ever did was give birth to Draco. "I just wanted to know."

Seeing the truth in those words, and remembering just how much has changed since the time his father has been freed of the effect of the spell he spoke up again.

"I'm sure it's a guy." he admitted, his body getting a bit more relaxed again as he started eating his breakfast.

"Anything that might help you searching for him?" Lucius asked. He knew full-well just how unpredictable and unusable the dream could be at times. It did not help him find his own mate after all.

"Green eyes." Draco said, "I'm sure he has green eyes."

Lucius stopped himself at that. He knew of one boy who had birthday on that day and sported green eyes. That however would be too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it be?

"What about hair?" he asked, instead of digging further into his thoughts.

"Not blonde, definitely. I'd say dark brown, or black, but I don't know for sure." Draco murmured, running his hand through his hair, a sure sign of distress.

'Could it really be?'

"Don't worry about that now. You have time to find him... You might even meet him at Hogwarts, he's your age after all."

"But what if I don't father? In that dream I... I felt that he needed me, needed me to protect him. What if someone hurts him before I find him?"

'Not Potter then...' Lucius dismissed his earlier idea with a shake of head, 'Potter is not the type to need saviours.'

...

_**12 Grimmauld Place, July 31st, 12:17**_

By the time of lunch Harry got accustomed somewhat to the presence of the two canines enough to not jump even if they touched him. What he was going to do once the school started though, he had no idea. It amplified all the more by the fact that it was only at the end of last school year that Voldemort had been defeated. Almost everyone was sure to try to come to him, especially the First Years, who were curious every year.

'I really want some peace.' Harry sighed as he sat opposite to his werewolf father in the library, doing his school work whilst the man searched for the cause of his mysterious transition. Harry was almost sure that the werewolf has not moved from that position for the nine hours since he left his room... especially if the two piles by his sides - one of yet unread books, the other with already sorted through - were anything to go by.

It was just as Harry wondered whether he was even going to get a present for his birthday that his dad stood, his expression brightening.

"Here it is, I found it!" the werewolf said in triumph, showing Harry the book he held.

"You think I'm a Veela?"

"That I was almost sure about, I was a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, remember?"

"Ah, true." Harry accepted without hesitation. After all creatures were what they were studying pretty much the whole year. Not that he complained. He really liked the classes that year. "So you found out something about _why_ I am a Veela?"

"Here, take a look."

"You really think that I'm a mate of a Veela?" Harry asked, seeing the chapter on which the book has been opened when his dad placed it on his lap.

"It was either that or some relation to an Elf... the dream you had indicates for a Veela though."

Nodding only Harry buried his nose in the book - figuratively speaking of course - and started reading.

**_Mates_**

_Mate is someone who has been chosen by fate to be the only one whom the Veela can be eternally happy with. The ones who complete the Veela on emotional, physical and magical level. Thanks to that mate is usually of around same magical power as the Veela is, for it could become dangerous if the Veela could not calm down an accidental outburst of magic of the mate or the other way round. For the Veela the presence of the mate is often enough of a calming factor though._

_Once both, the Veela and their mate, are matured their magical cores seek out for each other and for a duration differing for each pair the two connect through dreams. These may or may not help the Veela in the search of their mate._

_Mate is someone the Veela comes to love unconditionally. Mate is also the only one Veela can start family with, the gender or race not having any role in the matter. Attraction for either of sexes the Veela feels during their maturing are an indicator as to whom the fate will lead them to. That is a fact with a hundred percent accuracy._

_A female Veela usually gets a dominant mate, whereas male Veela usually gets submissive mate, it usually being male and female respectively. It however is not a rule and there are cases of a dominant female mate for a female Veela recorded, as there was a case of a submissive female mate for a female Veela recorded. How production of an offspring in these cases happens is however a secret guarded by Veelas and is passed down the Veela community. There has also been three recorded cases of a submissive male mate for a female Veela, it meaning that the Veela is meant to take care of the family once the offspring is born. According to records the male only takes the dominant role during the Veela's pregnancy when she is more vulnerable. After the offspring is born the Veela takes her dominant place again and the male takes care of the child for the most part._

_As there are exceptions for female Veelas there are cases of exceptions in mates for male Veelas. Whilst a__ case of a dominant mate of either gender for a male Veela has not been recorded so far there is also _the most common exception in choosing of mates: A submissive male for a male Veela.

_The production of an offspring is said to fare in similar fashion to female pregnancy. The only difference is in case the male mate is not of Veela or Elven species - which by itself does not happen that often. If the mate is not of either species he goes through change when his magical core matures, usually on his 16th or 17th birthday. It consists of the mate growing a womb to carry a child as well as mammary glands. The mate also takes on some of the Veela traits such as heightened senses, agility and speed, in essence becoming a Veela that is equal or sometimes even stronger than half-Veelas when it comes to Veela powers._

_The process changes the mate's magical core - to be able to accomodate the Veela powers - as well as body structure. A part of it also consists of the blood of mate being forcefully driven out of him to give place to a newly made one, one that can hold the magic of both wizarding and Veela kind. Thanks to all that the process is said to be quite a painful one._

_As a carrier the male will grow wings - as will any female submissive Veela or mate - only after the conception of first offspring. It being the primal instinct to keep the child(ren) warm, the wings do not disappear for the whole duration of pregnancy. After the first one the wings will become retractable at will during the time outside any pregnancy period._

"Quite a painful one... Did whoever wrote this try it?" Harry sighed as he read through the book, ignoring the amused chuckle he got from the man who still was with him in the room as he got lost in his memories, trying to place all that has happened on his birthday into the context with what was written in the book.

He remembered well the pain his inheritance brought him... and the beating which followed it once he stopped screaming from the pain, being accused of doing it on purpose to disrupt the sleep of Dursley's. He could only hope that if he really was a mate of a Veela that the womb would not be damaged somehow. He really hoped to have children in the future and the given possibility to carry them himself... He actually quite liked that when he found out.

After he has more or less came to terms with his sexuality - which did not really lead him to girls - he had studied about the possibility. It however involved a horribly complicated procedures months beforehand and thanks to that there was a little to no chance of success. Not to mention that he had hoped to have them with someone who was not likely to feel the want to even _be_ with him... not to mention sire a child.

When however Remus spoke of what has most likely happened Harry felt to have gotten another chance. A chance to try loving and be loved by someone who could be everything for him. Whom he could have the family with... who would see him for him.

...

"Harry is a submissive mate of Veela?" Sirius asked, baffled when the other two-thirds of the small family came down to share the news.

"Apparently." Harry chuckled only, he was afraid to show some of the excitement he felt over the fact. It was one of the few good things - number of which he would be able to count on his fingers anyway - that had happened to him.

"Are you even attracted to guys?" Sirius asked, it seeming to be what he was concerned about the most.

"Umm... Well, yes... More like, having this one - 'And only.' Harry added to himself - crush which is not likely to return the interest... and yes that one is a guy..." Harry admitted. He however was not about to tell them the name. It was not like it mattered any longer.

"I guess that's okay then..." Sirius trailed off. "If he hurts you though he'll have two angry canines after him, do notify him of that once he finds you."

For that Sirius received a cuff up the head from his husband.

"A Veela Sirius... Does "destined mates" and "eternally happy" ring any bell to you in association to them?"

"Just wanted to have my warning said... It's not fair to deny me that." Sirius grumbled and Remus only left for the kitchen with a sigh.

"I'll tell him once we meet." Harry laughed, seeing the pout on his father's face which made him look like an overgrown child, which he still was, a bit.

It was just when Sirius was about to add one more witty comment that Remus re-appeared, carrying a candle-lit birthday cake with "Happy Birthday Harry" on the top of it made in chocolate, and Harry shot up from his seat to look at the cake closely, never having a birthday cake this big before... actually never having any... - The one he got from Hagrid Harry could not even count, however much he wanted. Dudley got to eat it anyway.

Harry has spent each and every of his birthday, except from the first ones he did not remember, at Dursley's... He however chose not to think of that as a grin overtook his face when the cake got carried in.

Laughing at his antics Remus could not even speak for a moment. Once he did, he did so in tandem with Sirius who realised there were better times to speak of one's magical inheritance.

"Happy Birthday Harry."

And somehow Harry could not have though of anything better that could have been said.

* * *

**Done~ (A long chapter, Yes! \(o3o)/)**

**I will try to keep the updates at about this intervals at least, but I can't promise anything, with five ongoing fics on two sites and a real life striking in full-force once does not really have _that_ much time to write.**

**Also, before I forget, as some of you may have caught on Narcissa was not Lucius' mate - more about that will be explained later, hopefully (^^;). Anyway, I am putting up a _POLL_ on my profile for whether you'd want this poor guy to find his mate also... there will be 3 options (No - mate should not appear in the fic, Yes - a female mate, Yes - a male mate) - simple as that... I'm quite curious what your answers will be :p (Just so you know, I'm leaning towards the last one ;D)**

**A review, please? (0w0)/**

_(The full locations - along with street, country and stuff - will only be mentioned the first time the particulr location appears... For the sake of clearer arrangement (-v-))_

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	3. The Silence Before the Storm

**... Dreams of Silver ...**

_**Malfoy Manor, August 1st, 1:49**_

Draco could not sleep.

He only stared at the canopy of his bed, thinking of the dream which he has seen only about twenty-four hours earlier. A dream of his destined mate.

'He reminded me of someone.' Draco could not help but think as he thought of the emerald eyes which looked back at him in the dream. Even if they were in their "Veela state" the colour of the person's irises would be the same... and it did not lessen the sense of familiarity Draco had when looking into them in that dream.

Green eyes.

Draco never has been the one to remember things like these... He only interacted with one green-eyed person enough to remember a detail such that. It would be too good to be truth for that to happen. To finally draw that person's attention to himself with something else than snide remarks.

_Emerald_ eyes.

'But that's not likely...' Draco sighed to himself. 'It won't be him...'

Emerald eyes looking at him with _love._

'It just is not likely.'

_Love. _Something that all Veela craved to receive from their mates the most.

'Better no get the hopes up.'

How wonderful it would be.

'He would rather reject me anyway.'

...

Draco was not the only blonde to not be able to sleep however. In another of the waste number of rooms in the Manor, the Malfoy patriarch also found himself not able to slide into the welcoming arms of darkness.

His son's mate's transition made him think of the time it happened to his own mate. _Long_ years back.

He remembered the pain his mate went through. A terrible, searing pain which seemed to not have an ending, causing him to black out when it stopped. That was when the _dream_ came.

If it could even be called that.

If he did not know better, he would think he has not dreamt at all. He would only think it a nightmare. For there was only darkness in that dream. An all-encompassing black which made him run through it in desperation. In that dream he however did not catch a glimpse of his mate. It was as if the dream was blocked somehow, someone keeping his mate from him.

Only only one thing he could gather from the "dream".

And that was the fact that his mate was a male.

There was something which made him feel that. A presence which could never belong to a woman.

Wounded, _scared_ presence, which was his mate.

He _so_ wanted to help his mate.

To find him.

To reassure him.

To hold him.

To _love_ him.

_That_ right however... he has been denied.

He searched relentlessly, the desperate need even earning him a few in-between moments of bright mind in his otherwise blurry life controlled by many.

He kept trying to track all those who would fit into the day and age. Everyone who had birthday on that cold day, yet... It was twenty years and he still had no clue who his mate was.

Even after all those years there was no success.

Even after all those years the Veela felt the hopelessness of not having found his mate.

'Maybe I've dreamed it up. Maybe there is no one whom fate thinks I should spend my life with.' the Veela despaired, trying hard not to think of the matter anymore. However his mind was not an easy horse to keep in reins.

More memories were brought to him. Some of which he until recently had no access to.

Like the time Narcissa Black put a spell on him to keep him to herself, confusing his senses. Blurring his mind. He only occasionally had enough of a right mind to think clearly.

Or the time his father brought him before the Dark Lord under Imperius.

These were indeed not memories one would want to be brought back to.

The only light in the dark of the memories, of all the _years_ he had spent controlled, has been Draco to him. His Draco. The only good thing to have ever happened to him. And even _he_ would leave him in time.

Lucius only hoped that the tentative bond they had formed in the past month would not be broken over the mate, which fate has chosen for his son. He knew he would never fit in the equation of Draco's family if his mate disapproved.

He _really_ hoped it would not come to that.

Without his mate, who without doubt had their life set by now and would not welcome the blonde Veela in their life, and without his child, who would either choose his mate over him, or distance himself from him for the sake of not having association to him, someone whom the wizarding still refused to believe innocent fully...

Lucius could not really think of much that would keep him in the land of living for the hundreds years more he, as a Veela, would have to live.

...

_**The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England; August 4th, 11:52**_

It was only few days after his birthday that Harry went to Burrow for a bigger version of his birthday party, the initial plan being pushed a bit forward due to the extensity of Harry's injuries.

He was eager to see all of his red-headed extended family... plus Hermione and Fleur who were pretty much a part of the Weasley sum already.

Eager, but somehow scared also. He did not know how his haywire, newly enhanced senses will react to that many people at once. He was not sure what will happen.

He only hoped that everything will turn out fine in the end.

It however soon became clear that "fine" was not a word to apply to the situation which ensued.

...

"Harry mate, how're you doing?" Ron welcomed his friend as soon as Harry appeared in the living room where most of the family was already gathered.

It was a common greeting for them...

Harry's response was however anything _but_ common... for it was soon after the word "mate" left the red-head's mouth that the new Veela's instincts went into flare.

"Don't you _dare_ call me that!" Harry hissed at his friend, his eyes turning whole into the jewel colour only his irises usually had.

Remus and Sirius who stood just behind their son only sighed as they took in the offensive stance of their newly-Veela-ed child. Remus could not help but think that _maybe_ it would have been a good idea to warn the Weasleys of Harry's newly acquired status beforehand. No use crying over the spilt milk though.

As it however turned out no one had to do anything in the end, for it was before something could have happened, and/or some questions could have been asked that the last people to come arrived... or more like ran in.

"I felt a Veela 'ere. 'ow is 'ere anozer Veela Bill?" Fleur asked as soon as she appeared, her red-headed fiancé behind her... and it did not take her even a split second to spot Harry, who locked his eyes with her. As a submissive Veela which Fleur was, she did not seem a threat to him. That however did not change anything about his strained senses which screamed to punish the offence the youngest Weasley male had unknowingly committed.

"Zat iz a surprize." Fleur mused, advancing closer to Harry, something neither of the stunned family members dared to do. "'arry dear 'ow about we come outside for a while?" she giggled, her hand encircling the enraged new-born Veela's. The touch of another submissive Veela seemed to calm Harry enough for him to listen to her and he was soon leaving with the Veela more experienced in the field, followed by the oldest of the red-haired children...

Those of the family and friends who stayed inside the house only staring after them.

...

It was only when Harry was half-dragged out of the crooked building, which Burrow was, that the calming effect of Fleur diminished a bit and his newly acquired senses and common sense both realised something at once.

"You're a Veela through Fleur also." Harry gasped, turning to Bill. It was also at that moment that he realised that, if not mated, Bill would seem a threat to his senses.

"Zat eez true." Fleur giggled as she leaned closer to her fiancé. "Poor Bill, 'ad to go t'ru ze transformazion also. Yourz waz worse t'ough I theenk." she smiled with compassion.

"Why is that?" Bill asked.

"You're the dominant mate." Harry started explaining. "That means that you only had to get accustomed to the Veela powers and from what I get some exchange of blood also... a nasty thing." Harry shivered, and looking at Bill he could see he was understood. "That, and the first transformation, when you got your wings, once you met your mate, is all that you got for yourself."

"And what's the difference for you?" Bill asked, he had a vague idea, Fleur having told him the differences. There however was not need to go into the topic deeper.

"Well, _I_ am the submissive." Harry started. "Along with getting accustomed to Veela powers and the blood exchange I also had the restructuring of my stomach and... uhm... chest area." Harry shot a look at Fleur who started giggling, but then only continued with a sigh. "Also, my wings will appear for the first time only once I get pregnant and will stay unretractable during the whole pregnancy. Once I give birth I will be able to retract them at will, however that possibility will always disappear during any of the pregnancies after that... I think Fleur should have it the same with wings, don't you?" Harry asked, turning to Fleur.

"Eet eez true, me wingz will bee like zat also t'ru pregnansy." she agreed.

"Wow, you've really studied the topic, didn't you?" Bill laughed.

"Not much yet, did not have _that_ much of time. I only turned Veela few days back after all." Harry admitted. "I'm trying though."

"I can not eemagine zat. I waz taug't ev'ryzing by my maman et papa." Fleur conveyed. "I 'ave worreez about 'oo your Veela endz up to bee. You're very... fragile, if you know what I meen."

Harry thought about her words for a moment but only sighed in the end. "Not really, but thank you for the concern."

"I think anyone who gets you should be happy." Bill smiled at Harry, ruffling his already messy hair. "But I think you better go, Ron is shooting me glares for stealing his best friend." the oldest Weasley son laughed. He understood his younger brother though, after all the three of them shot off without an ounce of explanation... something which by then Sirius and Remus had done... Which meant that Hermione was overflowing with questions and Ron being the closest was the target for them... only the actual source of answers was missing.

Seeing that what was said was indeed true, Harry could not help but laugh. "I think I better go then. Thank you for the talk. I feel a bit less nervous now." he smiled before he turned to leave. "Enjoy it here for a bit more, it's a beautiful night... I'll just have to go back to that pandemonium... See you later."

Agreeing to that idea wholeheartedly the Veela mates waved their goodbyes. Even as the boy disappeared in the depths of the Burrow didn't the two tear the eyes of the closed doors he went through.

"I'm worreed 'bout 'im. 'e eez type 'oo could bee eezily 'urt."

"I know Flower, but what can we do? Fate is not something we can exactly bribe." Bill sighed, sharing the worries of his mate.

"I weesh I knew."

...

After the initial drama of the day, the birthday celebration went actually quite smoothly, except for few flares of Veela magic which Harry had hard time controlling.

Receiving more gifts than he ever remembered getting, the atmosphere cheerful unlike any of his birthday which were left uncelebrated for most part before... Harry was happy.

He was touched actually when Molly's gift turned out to be gold watch her late brother Fabian used to own. It was something of a tradition to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age and given that he was seen as an adult, with his magical maturing happening earlier, she thought it appropriate to gift him accordingly.

"They're slightly dented, he's never been too careful of his possessions." the Weasley matron apologised, smiling sadly as she handed Harry his gift. "I hope you like them anyway."

"Thank you. It's a wonderful gift." Harry could reply only. He knew just how much the watch must have meant to the woman. For her to give him the watch must have a great deal of consideration. "I'll treat them well."

"I know you will."

...

_**General, August**_

After the belated Birthday party the life settled into a somewhat peaceful pattern. In the Burrow, in the Grimmauld place and in the Malfoy Manor also.

There could be excitement felt almost palatably as the start of the school year approached, for various reasons.

There however were two Veelas who could feel that the start of the month September will bring something life-changing, earth-shattering. They however had yet to realise, just how different the interpretations of these words could be.

...

_**Malfoy Manor, August 25th, 8:32**_

"It's almost time to go to school again."

Lucius could only smile fondly as he watched his child slump into one of the chairs by the table in mock-exasperation. The older blonde knew better. He could see the excitement Draco felt over potentially finding his mate. He could not really hold it against him though.

"You poor thing." he chuckled, playing along. "How about we ease your misery with a trip to Diagon Alley?"

"For school things?" Draco asked, looking as bored as he could manage, but the attention given to the statement was visible in the way he perked up at the word "trip".

"For school things, for lunch, for some shopping..."

"Great!"

...

_******Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**, Scotland; August 25th, 11:07_

"I still fear who Harry's mate is..." Sirius sighed as he and his husband unpacked their luggage to make the room assigned to them have a feeling of home.

"You should not... There are only two possibilities of it not going right... One of them would resolve itself, the other is highly unlikely." Remus sighed as he put a moving photo of their little family on the fireplace.

"And what are they?" Sirius wanted to know immediately.

"The first one is obviously the fact that Harry's Veela mate could be someone who does not like him, hates him even, or, Merlin forbid, it could be a Death Eater... not many of them have a Veela blood though." Remus explained.

"Oh, and who does?" Sirius became distracted from the main point for a moment. "I know that Blacks do, but, as it is quite dimmed, it did not appear in most of us... the only Black in which it did in last three generations was Narcissa."

"Blacks indeed." Remus confirmed. "Which brings me to Malfoys, who as far as I know have strong Veela blood in them... not that Lucius was Death Eater by will though. Their Veela blood is what makes me think that Draco is quite a candidate for the post, he's a full Veela, which only recently came into Inheritance after all... Anyway, now that I think about it, none of the rest of them should have enough of the blood in them to actually have mate... which still does not make the situation easier."

"Why?"

"Think of Harry's hero status. A lot of possible candidates would be happy to have Harry as their mate for that only... it's unlikely though, as they should be fated to complete Harry... which some fan boy of all would not... well not at first. As I said these problems would solve themselves."

"But how?" Sirius had not caught on yet.

"Harry's mate is a born Veela, one that is to love his mate... whether he did or did not love him at time the bond starts forming would not matter, he would come to love him overtime... and once he did there's no way he'd let any harm come to Harry."

"Ah, true." Sirius agreed. He however remembered something else his husband said, only moments before. "But what about the other case?"

"As I said, highly unlikely."

"What is it?"

"Reverse rejection."

"Rever... what?"

"Siri, you have to understand that a Veela is a creature which needs a mate to be happy and can die if their mate rejects them. You know that don't you?" receiving a nod in response Remus continued. "What however almost no one knows is that it goes the other way round also."

"What?"

"We should work on your vocabulary." Remus muttered to himself, despite his husband apparent illiteracy he however responded. "Reverse rejection is a situation when the Veela rejects the mate. It is something which has happened only a few times in the history and thus is unlikely to happen in this case... Let's just hope in Harry's luck, can't we?"

Sirius thought about it for a while, holding another of the photos in his hand, one they took of Harry after his birthday, showing how the boy walked around the garden the Grimmauld place had.

The photo showed a moment when a downpour came unexpectedly. The brief moment of surprise, which registered on Harry's face, only stayed for a split second. It turned into one of content as Harry just stood in the garden, extending his hands, letting the water slide down his skin, letting it caress him as lover's touch. It looked as if he belonged just there.

"I hope we can Remy." Sirius sighed as he placed the photo to the very centre of the ledge above the fireplace.

"Don't worry about it now, Harry will notice when we meet later."

"Ah true, just me, you and our cub. Where were we supposed to go again?"

"To Diagon Alley, where else?"

* * *

**Done~**

**I am so very sorry... this chapter is WAYS overdue... I hope you like it anyway and are looking forward to the next one - which is likely to come LATE also... *sigh***

**If this chapter is too confusing (I never really had time to write more than 200 words at once) please let me know, I'll try to fix it :)**

**Anyway, the results for the POLL question (**Do you want Lucius Malfoy to find his mate?**) are as following:**

**[ **_Yes - a male mate 17 » 85% ; __Yes - a female mate 3 » 15% ; __3 No - his mate should not appear in the fic 0 » 0%_** ]**

**As a result Lucius will indeed get a MALE mate... many people guessed already just who that will be... for those who don't know yet... well.. it won't really be of importance for few more chapters, so you can wait :D**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	4. The Despair of a Veela

**... Dreams of Silver ...**

_**Diagon Alley, London, England; August 25th, 11:03**_

Draco was pretty excited to go to see the Diagon Alley after long months again. Not to mention it has been _ages_ since he has visited it with his father. That, for some reason, made it even more exciting. And fun. Even if the witches and wizards they met so far did not exactly seem to feel the same about their presence.

One would think that two months after the clearance of the Malfoy name more than a few would acknowledge their presence in the most frequented wizarding shopping alley with something different then sneers and looks of distrust.

Draco however mostly ignored them anyway.

He hasn't been out of the Manor for most part of the summer, it only partly being because of not wanting to go anywhere. It was especially because he knew that his father was likely to stay holed up in his library all day if he did that. And Draco decided that such an outcome was not in the realm of acceptable. He wanted some bond between his father and him to be formed, even if such a bond was to have its starting point in a game of Wizard's Chess a day.

When younger Draco has always wondered why his father had days when he would not speak to him, be cold as one could get, and the next day he was apologizing for not having time for them to spend together. Time for just being father and son. It was only on the latter days that his father has shown him some want for contact. Hugging him when he had an occasion... and sometimes even if he hadn't.

It had been so sad for Draco, since an early age, to know that when such a day came a similar one was not likely to do so anytime soon.

Draco had not understood the reason until the day of redemption which the death of the Dark Lord caused. The day his father collapsed at the time of his mother's death. He had not understood until his father cried, holding him close, after he woke up in Saint Mungo's, explaining in a soft voice what he could.

'And now that I know, I still can't really get him to open up.' Draco sighed to himself, immediately straightening his back when he saw his reflection in one of the glass displays lump its shoulders. There was no way he'd let his inner turmoil out for everyone to see. Even if he _really_ felt like doing so. After all, what else could he feel but inner despair when he at times flinched from his father, just because he's been conditioned to do so since a little child?

'Hopefully that state will change overtime.' Draco continued to speak to himself, resisting the urge to drag his hand through his hair in exasperation. 'If he allows it that is.'

Draco was feeling discouraged, thinking that his father probably wouldn't want to got them too close anyway. The only time in the last two most he felt close to the man was when his father held him through the pain of his mate's transition into Veela, soothing his pain, talking to him... he had even carried him to bed when he fell asleep as soon as the pain faded. That and the times when they spoke about his mate.

As he sighed again, Draco could see his father turn his head to him slightly, probably trying to assess what was going on in his child's mind. The said child however only put the two of what he was seeing and the two of what he was thinking into four of a whole new question.

'Why haven't father found his mate? Everything would be so much easier then... but then again I wouldn't be alive if he did...' Draco mused. 'That however doesn't mean I have to be happy about how it ended up.'

Looking at his father again though, he could see just how much not having the other half of his soul was hurting his father, the regal façade only covering the distraught, lonely Veela. Hiding it from the world's eyes. It was not right.

'Why must everything be so complicated?' Draco thought even some time later, when the two Malfoys entered the restaurant which had only been opened recently, when he received a distrustful glance from a witch who was just leaving the establishment.

'So. Damn. _Complicated!_'

...

_**Leaky Cauldron, Charing Cross Road, London, England; August 25th, 11:58**_

Having yet to acquire his Apparation license, not being seventeen yet, Harry had to use Floo network to travel that day. After the first debacle with that type of transport Harry was always _very_ careful about his pronunciation... Merlin knew he did not want to end up in Knockturn Alley again. And it was still better than traveling alone with a Portkey... too much painful memories were tied to those for him to brave them alone.

When Harry stepped from the fireplace he looked around Leaky Cauldron, it being the place they chose to meet at, not seeing his fathers yet. And so he waited.

The pub was pretty crowded, it being lunchtime, and Harry felt the Veela blood under his skin crackling. He was not used to that many people yet, not in his current state.

He however revelled in the new details he could pick up with his enhanced senses.

Brighter colours, voices discernible even in the mass of sound in the pub, and the fact that he could feel a lingering traces of everyone's magic in the air. He liked that one.

Scratch that.

He _loved_ it. All of it.

Looking at his watch Harry saw that it was slightly past the time they chose to meet, the boy however chose not to think much of it, a couple could never come on time when one of the two in pair is Sirius Black.

'Poor Remy.' Harry chuckled to himself as he imagined his werewolf father try to force some normal clothes on his husband. It reminded Harry of a time before some event Sirius was to attend.

_ "For being a Head of the House of Blacks you sure do dress up awfully." Remus said, sighing, trying to find anything that would not cause a faux pas in the evening. That attempt was something Harry, who had been sitting on the bed, assessed to be an impossible feat, if what he saw in the wardrobe was anything to go by._

_"But come on... it's not like you've been wearing anything be..." Sirius complained, as he stood next to his husband. His __whining however ceased immediately when the werewolf shot him a look._

_"**You** wear rags, even after having been freed, out of your **choice**. I had to wear rags out of **necessity**!" the usually-mild-mannered man all but growled, leaning closer to the offender, his green eyes gleaming with the amber of the wolf's.__"Do you see the difference, **dear**?" he then said, straightening his back, the flecks of amber gone. If not for the menacing tone of his voice, one would have thought that nothing has happened._

_"I'm sorry." the older of the two apologised. It was then that the man hoped that actually thinking before speaking was something he should add to his characteristics._

_"It's okay, it's not that big of a deal." Remus sighed, holding out robes for Sirius to try on. "What about these?"_

_"It's **not** okay!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air, the question seemingly overlooked._

_Sighing again Remus placed the robes on the bed. "Okay, so it's not. That however doesn't mean that we have to make a big deal out of it."_

_"I **want** to make a deal out of it! This is not something you should just slide Remy."_

_Feeling that he was not acknowledged to be in the room at that point, Harry left._

'However if the fact that they _Silencio-ed_ their room some time after, and the state they came downstairs later... Problems solved, steam let off, or something... I guess.' Harry chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny cub?" Harry heard suddenly, he voice breaking him out of his inner world.

"Nothing Siri." the boy laughed, looking at his watch. He had not even noticed that he has spent that much mind in his own mind.

"You're fifteen minutes late." he pointed out, looking at his fathers. Fathers who seemed to have left in a rush of sorts.

"It's just..."

"I don't want to know." Harry snickered. "Anyway, now that you're here, where shall we go?"

"I don't know." said the werewolf. "I'm hungry though, out of energy, how about going to get something to eat first?"

Applying his selective hearing to block Harry's new bout of giggles, Sirius agreed. "Yeah, I could do with some food also. I'm starving!"

That earned the two an overtly laughing adoptive son. He did so the whole time the three of them walked to the Diagon Alley's entrance and once they reached it.

"What's with him?" Sirius asked, not yet having connected his state with his son's outburst of laughter.

"Nothing Padfoot." Remus smiled, linking his arm with his husband's as they went through the opening in the wall, which appeared when the correct brick was tapped.

"Now what was the name of that new French restaurant you told me about?"

...

Having coated himself in layers of_ "Notice-me-not"_ charms, Harry could for once enjoy the atmosphere of the shopping alley undisturbed. Even the Veela settling a bit, when there were not people trying to get close.

Or at least that was the plan.

It was as the three men walked down the road, closer and closer to the restaurant, that Harry started feeling a weird sensation, almost as if someone was pulling him in the direction they were headed to.

Feeling that Harry blanched somehow and only let himself be led by that sensation... Which was something his fathers soon noticed.

"Cub?" Remus asked, not particularly liking the glassy, hazed look Harry's eyes had taken on.

"What?" Harry asked back, not even noticing there was something wrong to begin with, the glassiness not residing in the green eyes any longer.

"Nevermind." the werewolf sighed.

'Maybe I've imagined it?" he asked himself. Seeing the look Sirius gave him he however knew that his husband had seen it also. The change which only lasted a moment.

Needless to say that the two canines decided swiftly, that they'll have to keep an eye on Harry's behaviour.

After all, what if the sudden lapse in concentration was not just a one-off occurence?

...

**La Friandise*****, Diagon Alley, London, England; August 25th, 12:23**

The two Malfoys had just been walking out of the French restaurant when the Malfoy patriarch suddenly seen his son freeze on the spot.

"What is it Draco?" the older Veela asked.

His son however did not answer him, instead he started walking off. In direction which was unknown to the older wizard.

"Draco?"

The rise in voice of his father stopped Draco.

"What is it, father?" the son asked immediately, not understanding the reason for his father to speak up.

"Where were you going?"

"Nowhere." the boy said ingenuously, as he looked around, a bit confused. When had they passed the doorsill of the restaurant?

If it was anyone who would have said that then Lucius Malfoy wouldn't have believed them, being a distrustful person from nature. With his son however it was something different, especially when he saw the subtle confusion in his son's eyes. And so he only sighed.

"Don't mind it, let's go." Lucius dismissed his earlier question, despite the fact he did not feel good about the strange behaviour.

And it stayed in his mind even long after they left the Diagon Alley.

...

**Diagon Alley, August 25th, 12:31**

Sirius and Remus were just watching the latest of Harry's lapse into obliviousness, when suddenly the boy broke out of it, shaking his head as if dispelling a wondering thought. Then he looked around himself confusion creeping into his expression.

"What is it, pup?" Sirius asked as Harry did not speak up or anything, despite his obvious discomfort over something.

"Ah, it's nothing Siri." Harry smiled, as if there was no wrong in the world. A thought however was in his mind, one which he had no idea how to answer.

'When the heck did we get here?'

...

When no more strange occurences happened the married couple eased up.

It seemed as if whatever it was that was affecting Harry had stopped. They however soon realised the reason, just as Harry entered La Friandise, his steps faltering as if he was hit with something.

"He was here." the boy whispered, the older two not getting the implication at first.

"Who was here Harry?"

"He was here." Harry said, his voice disappearing as he mouthed to his fathers. _"My mate."_

"Now that explains a lot." Remus said, as the three of them walked to a table, placing a privacy charm around them as soon as they sat down. "It actually explains pretty much everything."

"But I missed him! We could have met!" the distressed Veela wailed, hands gripping at his hair. He was suffering, for he could feel remnants of his mate's magic, but knew the source had left some time ago, judging from the way it kept on getting weaker.

"You could have cub." Remus admitted, patting Harry's head in an attempt of consolation. He could see it did not work much though. "But wouldn't it be better somewhere else? Just imagine, with all those people around, how could you know none of them is a from the Daily Prophet? Can you imagine what a field day they would have if you or your mate followed the other as a lost puppy? Or worse, kissed? Because believe me, if the books are anything to go by you'll want to do just that... and maybe some tearing of clothes would be in order also..."

The werewolf could see how the possibility dawned on his son, the knowledge that something like that had not happened calming him down a bit.

"I wouldn't want to embarrass him..." Harry mumbled, taking one of the menus on the table and seemingly started to pay a lot of attention to it.

"As wouldn't he, believe me." Remus chuckled. "Now I believe we should actually order something or your dog of a father will eat the menu."

Harry did not even need to look at Sirius to know that was true, and so he only started reading the menu.

The thoughts about his mate however did not leave. Not a chance they would.

...

After the time spent in the restaurant and later in the wizarding shopping alley itself the three of them left for Grimmauld place, the two adults wanting to accompany Harry, making sure everything was alright.

"I won't die during the week, you know?" Harry laughed, despite enjoying the attention his fathers were giving him.

"We just want to know all is in line, puppy." Sirius answered, ruffling Harry's hair, making it seem even more of a bird's nest than it usually was.

"I'm fine, really." the green-eyed Veela smiled. "I still wish we could have met though." he added, hunching his shoulders.

"Oh, puppy." Sirius hugged him. "You will meet him soon, I'm sure of that." he tried to cheer his son up, throwing his worries about Harry's mate away.

"I think so also." Remus added. "After all, he was in Diagon Alley, and usually this is the time when all the students go there to buy what they need for the school year, he will probably be in Hogwarts."

"I hope so." Harry whispered, dragging his werewolf father into their little family circle also.

"And if not we can always go back and get the list of people who visited La Friandise from the owners." Sirius smirked, causing the other two to laugh.

Only it was not meant as a joke. The head of Blacks would do just that if needed.

After all nothing, even the idea of the mate not exactly liking Harry at first, was worse that to see the boy suffer over him.

Nothing.

...

_**Malfoy Manor, August 25th, 20:29**_

It was only long after the two of them had returned from the Diagon Alley that the Malfoy patriarch thought of his outing with his son again, over a glass of Firewhiskey. It was not hard for his thoughts to return to the strange way his son behaved for a moment.

And it was only that late that he realised that he had looked at it from a wrong angle. From _human's_ angle.

'And it is not human blood which courses through our veins.' Lucius Malfoy sneered at himself. He was almost sure that it was the presence of his son's mate that affected Draco so.

If only he knew the signs. If only he had the experience to compare it to... After all, that was how it usually went in families which had Veela blood, or blood of any creature for that matter. The parent teaching the child in the ways of their nature.

And Lucius could not help but feel incompetent.

If only he could turn back time... back before magic had been first used to affect his mind. Used to make him _obey._

It was wrong. So very wrong.

He was a _dominant_ Veela. One who was made to care for the family's needs. To protect it if needed. To fight for it if those however seemed so distant to him. He only knew the second-hand only from books. Not from his father for certain... and neither from experience. Never from experience.

They forced him to go against his nature for so long. Too long a years to endure. And even now that he had been freed he did not know what to do.

'I'm not even sure if I know what I'm supposed to do myself.' the Veela sighed as he downed the rest of the glass, hoping it would fill him with strength instead of dragging him further into the depths of misery.

'I can't even find my _own_ mate... And he won't want me even if I do.' he though, the feeling of futility oozing from his very being as he filled another glass with Ogden's, bringing it to his lips.

'How am I supposed to be anything but burden to Draco then?'

...

Draco came out of his room and headed for library. He hoped to find his father there, as the man spent most of his time in the room, surrounding himself with books. Opening the door however, Draco immediately noted the lack of his father's tell-tale presence.

'Where could he be?' the Veela asked himself. 'It's not even ten yet, he wouldn't have gone to sleep so soon.' he reasoned. He however went to take a look into the Master suite even so. It did not strike him as a surprise when he did not find his father there though.

Minutes, and a visit to his father's study later he was beginning to grow worried. 'Where is he?'

As he pondered about the possibilities he walked through the house.

He was almost at his father's room's door again when he stopped himself in front of ornate door.

'Surely he wouldn't have...' Draco told himself, looking at the wood. After all, this was the one room his father had never set a foot into for as long as he remembered. One he knew was meant for the mate of the oldest Veela in the family. His father's mate.

It was a room which his father pained over, knowing it was long since over the time he should have found his mate, gifting him with the set of rooms which was traditionally used before bonding, the mate moving into the Master suite then.

It was the room one Lucius Malfoy has warded with every spell he knew in his first moment of clear mind, wanting to keep his wife out of it. Not wanting her to sully the air in the room with her presence. To taint the room with her venom.

Gathering his courage Draco peeked into the room, pain filling him when he saw his father's state.

Draco has never seen his father look this miserable. The man he knew to be never less than regal when outside and at least had some semblance of control when inside was all but curled in the center of the bed, the room smelling of alcohol heavily.

His father was a picture of sorrow.

It was at that moment that Draco realised that there was a possibility that he might have to live a half-life also. A life in which nothing but despair waited at the end. And it would come much sooner if he found his mate... but they did not connect... and his mate rejected him as a result.

Bringing his father a hangover potion to place it at the bed-side table Draco resolved himself.

He would not be the one left behind like that. He simply _would **not.**_ He will have enough of a problem if his father does not find his mate even now, when free...

'Because if it goes as it goes so far... He might turn suicidal even.' Draco shuddered at even the though. He did not want to lose his father. And he would not even if his mate chose them not having any contact as conditio sine qua non, the absolute necessity.

He knew his father would not survive if he was also to leave, his Veela would not let him.

And Draco refused to ever let it come to that. And despite the inner pain it caused him he made a resolution to himself.

'If it ever comes to that... I'll rather reject _him_ instead.'

* * *

**Tadah~ ****So? what is your opinion?**

**Well, first of all - **_*"La Friandise = "A Delicacy" or sth..._ **I'm learning French but well... Anyway, I am sorry for making you wait so long... I did not have idea as to where to take this chapter exactly... I mostly wanted it to brush some wheels into motion .. but don't worry, the next chapter will have the start of the school year... THEN it will truly start to get a pace (-w-) ... hopefully I will have it within by the end of August at most... can't promise anything though, Writer's block is a b*tch. . . but you know... maybe a review may liven my spirit a bit? ;D**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


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